Just minutes from Disney World’s theme park crowds, Pienezza Pizza sits quietly off John Young Parkway in Kissimmee, Florida, serving pies that taste as if they came straight from a Brooklyn corner shop.
This family-owned pizzeria was built by parents who raised their kids across several continents before bringing old-neighborhood Italian traditions back home to Florida.
The result is a menu packed with New York-style pizzas, unexpected specialty pies, and a story worth knowing before your first bite. 🍕
How Pienezza Pizza won Kissimmee’s hearts
John and Nikki G. didn’t open Pienezza Pizza to chase a trend near the theme parks.
They built it to bring something personal to Kissimmee: pizza rooted in old Brooklyn neighborhood traditions, filtered through years spent living abroad and raising their family on multiple continents.
Alongside classic New York rounds, Pienezza serves genuinely inventive specialty pies, an Italian Flag topped with pesto and cream sauce, and a Sicilian Bruschetta finished with fresh vegan bruschetta, that reflect a family willing to experiment rather than stick to one predictable formula.
The restaurant describes itself simply as a neighborhood spot for “hot, handcrafted pizza made with fresh ingredients and bold flavors.” That description tracks with what regulars keep ordering: thin, crispy classic rounds; thick Sicilian squares; and calzones stuffed generously enough to share.
One of the most telling signs of local loyalty is how often Pienezza shows up on lists of hidden pizza gems near Kissimmee, tucked well away from the tourist strip yet consistently recommended by locals who know the area far better than any theme park guide. 🍕
Convenience played a role too. Being just minutes from Disney World gave Pienezza a built-in advantage, but it’s the food itself, not the location, that turned first-time visitors into regulars who specifically detour off the main tourist path.
Kissimmee has no shortage of pizza options near its tourist corridor, but Pienezza built its following the old-fashioned way: real family history, hand-tossed dough, and specialty pies inventive enough to keep regulars curious years after their first order.
Food Highlights
- Mama’s Lasagna Pizza: Sliced meatball and crumbled sausage layered with marinara, ricotta, and a hint of garlic, essentially turning a lasagna into pizza form. 🧀
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NY Neapolitan Pizza: The classic New York-style pie, described plainly on the menu as just that: a straightforward, well-executed cheese pizza on a thin crust. 🍅
- NY White Pie: A ricotta cream sauce and garlic replace traditional red sauce for a rich, garlicky white pizza. 🧄
- Hey Brooklyn Pizza: Five classic toppings-pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, and peppers-piled onto a thin and crispy New York-style crust.🍕
- Prosciutto Nella Neve Pizza: A house special white pie built around prosciutto, giving it a salty, savory depth. 🥓
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Sicilian Bruschetta Pizza: A square Sicilian pie topped with fresh vegan bruschetta and finished with pesto. 🍅
- Italian Flag Pizza: A thin-crust square pizza built with three sauces layered together, fresh pesto, margherita tomato sauce, and creamy white sauce, mirroring the red, green, and white of the Italian flag. 🇮🇹
- Italian Margherita Pizza: Fresh mozzarella and basil finish this Italian-style take on the classic margherita, favoring simplicity over heavy toppings. 🌿
Atmosphere
Pienezza Pizza keeps things unpretentious and neighborhood-focused, a small, family-run counter more concerned with getting the pizza right than putting on a show. 🍕
The vibe leans casual and welcoming, the kind of place where locals grab a quick slice, and tourists stumble in expecting nothing special.
Expect quick service, simple seating, and a genuine sense that the people behind the counter actually care about what they’re making. It’s comfortable, not flashy, and that’s exactly the point. 🏠
Bottom Line
Visit for authentic Brooklyn-rooted pizza, inventive specialty pies like the Crazy Margherita and Mama’s Lasagna Pizza, true family ownership, vegan and gluten-free options, and a hidden gem worth the detour near Disney World. 🍕👨👩👧👦
Address:
3236 N John Young Pkwy, Kissimmee, FL 34741
📞 (407) 750-5540
🕔 Open Tue–Sun, 11:30 AM–9 PM (Fri–Sat until 10 PM), closed Mon